7 Simple Ways To A Peaceful Mind

By Nicole Tinkham

Do you ever end your day with your mind spinning and you feel like you haven’t accomplished anything in the past 24 hours? Then you just lie in bed dreading all the things you must get done the following day knowing that you’ll be even busier now. It’s a vicious cycle and we know exactly how you feel. Life is not easy! But let us be totally real with you for a moment. You need to hear this. Stop everything you’re doing and really “listen” to this when you read it. When you allow stress into your life, you are not only wasting precious time being unhappy but you are also putting yourself at a huge health risk! Worry is more damaging than you may think. Worrying yourself sick is an actual thing and it’s dangerous. Plus it’s just not fun to worry all the time and isn’t that what life is all about? Having fun? We don’t want you to waste another minute that you could be loving life by stressing over the little things. Read on for 7 simple ways to start developing a mind that is at peace.

1.    Meditate

Meditation isn’t as complex and difficult as you may believe it to be. You don’t have to light candles or chant or do anything weird. It’s simply clearing your mind of the clutter and focusing on your breathing. Try it for just 5 minutes to start. Sit somewhere comfortable where there’s no distractions. Close your eyes and breathe in and out. When anything pops into your head good or bad, totally erase it from you mind and direct your focus back to your breathing. You don’t need to meditate for long, just 5 minutes really makes a difference.

2.    Get Creative

We fully believe that art is a form of therapy. We have heard countless stories on how getting creative has changed lives. But even if you don’t think you’re the creative type, there’s still something for you. We highly recommend adult coloring books to release stress. You don’t have to be an artist to enjoy this activity but you can get really creative with it. We’ve even heard of people hosting coloring parties with friends, how fun!

3.    Be quiet

Sometimes you just need to be alone in a quiet space where you can think. This is similar to meditation but quite the opposite. Instead of clearing your mind, do an activity where you really use your mind. Sometimes you just have so many ideas about every little thing and it gets stressful carrying that around with you. Every once in awhile a massive brainstorm session is needed to get everything unloaded from your head onto paper. Jot down EVERYTHING you can think of and pick and choose what you’ll take action on next.
Some other ways you can enjoy your alone time is by getting lost in a really great book, pamper yourself, or just sit in nature and take in all the beauty it has to offer.

4.    Get Active

Your mind and body like it when you get up and move! Dance in your living room, take a long walk, ride a bike, stretch it out, or take a hike just to get moving.

5.    Volunteer

Giving back to the community is one of the most rewarding feelings ever. If you don’t normally do volunteer work, it will totally change your thinking. Find an area that you’re passionate about and help out on the weekends or whenever you have a little extra time. Remember to give without expecting anything in return. When you put your energy into helping someone else, you in turn help yourself as well.

6.    Laugh

Laughter really is the best medicine and it can completely take your mind off any worries you may have. Get together with a group of friends and have a fun day out. Do something new and exciting that you don’t normally do. Do something child-like and just enjoy life.

7.    Get positive

This takes time but you want to start working on your mindset. Replace any negative thoughts with positive ones, find something wonderful in every situation even the bad ones, love everyone for who they are and spread that love, realize that every obstacle presents itself with an opportunity for you to learn and grow, and be true to yourself. Be happy being the unique person you are.

What a peaceful mind really comes down to is just letting go of your worries and enjoying life. We only have one chance to live an incredible life. If you think about it that way it seems silly to sweat the small stuff, doesn’t it? Doesn’t it make more sense to just enjoy ourselves and do the things we love? Life is too short to not be chasing after what you want. Get in the right mindset and start making things happen! Listen to your body and your mind. Do the things that make you feel good. Focus on doing more of the things that make you happy and less on the things that stress you out. Begin this journey of yours by practicing the 7 simple ways to a peaceful mind mentioned in this blog. Then let us know how it has changed your life and the way you think! Please share your story with us in the comments below.

5 minute art projects for when you’re short on time

By Nicole Tinkham

We hear it all the time. You want to get more art time into your daily life but your schedule is so packed that you simply can’t make it happen. It’s unfortunate because this is how you grow as an artist. To get better at anything, you must practice consistently. If you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel at the moment, let us introduce our favorite 5 minute art projects for when you’re short on time.

1.    Zentangle
Zentangle is basically organized doodling. It allows you to clear your mind and completely relax. When you only have 5 minutes, work on a smaller scale. You can use 3”x3” cards and do quick little zentangle designs. It’s super easy to get lost in a zentangle project so you may want to set a timer if you have other things on your agenda.

Learn more about zentangle and how to get started here.

2.    Stamping
Next time you’re in the art supply store, grab a few stamps that jump out to you and ink pads in your favorite colors. When you have a few extra minutes, play around with them. We love making our own greeting cards. It doesn’t take up much of your time and there’s so much to experiment with (like embossing powder). Let your imagination run wild!

3.    Sketching
We encourage ALL ARTISTS to carry around a small sketchbook with them wherever they go. You never know when you’ll gain pockets of time throughout the day when you could be practicing your art. If you’re at work, take a 5 minute break to sketch and clear your mind. Sketch on your morning commute (as long as you’re not the one driving) or 5 minutes before you leave the house in the morning. Once you start actively looking for these segments of time, you’ll realize there are more opportunities than you thought.

4.    Writing
Writing can sometimes seem unrelated to the art we’re normally familiar with but what’s more creative than telling a story? Remember that there are many ways to use your creative mind that don’t involve drawing or painting. If you don’t have a sketchbook (or even if you do), carry around a journal to jot down inspiring thoughts for the day, a story, or some poetry.

5.    Coloring
Have you heard about adult coloring books yet?? They seem to THE hobby to get into these days. We love them because it requires some creativity but you don’t have to put yourself entirely out there if you don’t feel comfortable with your artwork yet. There’s no pressure to finish the page you’re coloring right away if you don’t have time and it’s a great way to escape for a little while.

We only put our artwork on the back burner because we THINK we don’t have time for it. If you’re serious about working on your art every single day, here’s what we want you to do. Write down every single thing you do in a day and how long it takes you to do it. This will open your eyes to where you have some extra time and what you should stop doing or cut back on doing so you can focus on what really matters, your ART!

Tell us, how do you get just a little more art in your daily routine? Let us know in the comments below.

8 Unique coloring techniques for your adult coloring book

By Nicole Tinkham

Adult coloring books are THE hottest thing right now and rightfully so. Some of the benefits of coloring will probably totally shock you. It’s more than just a hobby. If you haven’t heard about them, check the benefits out here.  Once you do that it’s time to get coloring! Grab a coloring book (at Keeton’s! 🙂 ) and some colored pencils (also at Keeton’s!) to get started. Keep in mind that just because the designs are already laid out for you doesn’t mean your creativity can’t shine. Here are 8 unique coloring techniques that anyone can do.

1.    The stained glass look

Tracing the outer lines thickly with your colored pencil and then filling it in with a lighter shade will give you a stained glass look.

2.    Gradient

Use a few different colored pencil shades to produce a gradient.

3.    Use your pencil shavings!

Save your pencil shavings because you can actually use that powdery pencil dust to color. Dump some out where you want your color to go and gently blend it in with your finger. This will give you a light and very soft look.

4.    Add some texture

You can place any flat item with texture under your paper and transfer the texture by gently coloring over top. Get creative and find some interesting leaves 🙂

5.    Shading

You can easily achieve shading with one colored pencil. It’s called the pressure method. Simply apply more pressure and layers where you want the color to be darker and less pressure in areas you want lighter. When doing this method, we recommend coloring in a circular pattern so the shades blend well together and it looks seamless.

6.    Use a colorless blender

A colorless blender is essentially a colored pencil without the color and is used to blend. When coloring with pencil, you’ll typically notice some of the white from the paper peeking through. A colorless blender can smooth everything out for a nice clean look and intensify the color. Using the small circle technique mentioned under shading, start with the lighter areas and work your way in the darker.

7.    Play around with watercolor pencil

Watercolor pencils seem to work like magic and are so much fun to play with. They’re similar to regular colored pencils but when water is added, they transform into watercolors. Learn more about them here: Using Watercolor Pencils

8.    Get creative and use other supplies

You don’t necessarily have to use colored pencils when working in your coloring book although many people prefer it. You can also use markers (that won’t bleed through), crayons, glitter, you name it! Try some different things out and have fun with it.

TIP: We recommend using quality colored pencils like Prismacolors. Trust us when we say you’ll be glad when you make the switch to quality supplies.

You may not need professional artistic stills to enjoy adult coloring books but that doesn’t mean you always have to stay within the lines. Add your flair and dare to do something a little different! Try out these 8 unique coloring ideas and have fun with it.

Tell us, what’s your favorite colored pencil technique? Let us know in the COMMENTS!

7 Benefits of adult coloring books and how they can change your life

By Nicole Tinkham

Adult coloring books are all the rage right now. If you’re feeling out of the loop, were here to fill you in on why they’ve become so popular this last year. For one, they take you back to a simpler and joyous time in life, you know, when nothing really seemed to matter. They allow you to de-stress and take your mind off of your current worries. They don’t require endless supplies plus you don’t need any special artistic skills to do them. Simply, they make us happy. We can all agree on that. But there’s also many other benefits to coloring, some of which you may have never known about. Still unsure about this popular fad? Here’s why you need to invest in an adult coloring book ASAP!

1.    Coloring parties are a thing now and an excellent way to get social. You’ve heard of crafting groups and artist groups before, right? A coloring party is the same type of thing but with a group of people who may not necessarily feel comfortable or confident enough to share their artwork with the group. Adult coloring books are different. These groups typically get together with their books and chat over wine and snacks. If you thought coloring was a solo hobby, think again!

2.    Some people meditate and others color. Like meditation, coloring relaxes your brain and reduces stress.

3.    Just because designs in an adult coloring book are already drawn for you doesn’t mean it’s not your own personal creation. This is your book and you can make it what you want. This gives you the freedom to be yourself and do your own thing just like a professional artist!

4.    Coloring enhances your vision, creativity, motor skills, and focus. Yes, all four! The vision and motor skills come into play when you’re coloring within the lines (some designs are super detailed!). Your creativity expands when you start looking at the various colors and how they work together. And focus also plays a big part even with a relaxed mind.

5.    Boredom and lack of routine can lead down a slippery slope to various disorders (OCD, stress, anxiety, etc.). Coloring helps take the focus away from these negative areas and puts it on a more positive and structured hobby.

6.    Coloring also brings us back to our childhood when things were simpler and we didn’t have to stress over work or other adult responsibilities. How often do you do things just because you can for the pure joy of it? We rarely allow ourselves that freedom anymore. Coloring makes it possible though.

7.    You can choose to do puzzles to sharpen your mind or you can choose to color. The two activities may seem completely opposite from one another but they actually both have intellectual benefits. Coloring uses the part of the brain that deals with focus, concentration, problem solving, and organization. Yet at the same time, you’re totally relaxed. Pretty amazing!

So do you still think coloring is for kids? You don’t have to be an artist to enjoy it plus it’s super simple to do. Grab a coloring book, some colored pencils, a group of friends and try it out! As always, we’d love to see your creations. Share with us your adult coloring book experience by posting a photo over on our Facebook page.